Teach your children well, Their father's hell did slowly go by*
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
We sat around the half circle table as the children worked on their pictures. The assignment was to draw what you want to be when you grow up. I looked at their faces as they told me in all their excitement what they wanted to be. Some of my kids go home to some rough places where the attention is not only not on them but much of their dreams are generated by their own little hearts. So my heart was just warmed by their answers.
"I want to be a policeman."
"I want to be a fireman." said Danielle. "You can't be a fireman, you are a girl!" said one of the boys. Danielle was quick to ask the Firefighter who visited my room if girls could be Firefighters. He said, "Yes, we have one at our station." Danielle beamed.
"I want to be a Farmer and a Fireman."
"I want to work at Tige' boats."
"I want to be a Doctor."
"I want to make Robots."
"I want to be a Teacher."
We all had so much fun dreaming and I prayed that along the way there would be those who would foster these dreams and show them the possibilities.
Then one of my boys, whose Dad is in Jail,was drawing and looked at me and said, "I am going to be in Jail for a little while." I looked at him and said, "No, you don't have to go and be in Jail for a little while." We looked at each other for a long time and then he said, "Okay, I'll be a Doctor."
*From "Teach Your Children" by Crosby, Stills and Nash
posted by Beverly at
8:11 PM
3 comment(s):
ohhhhhhhhh!!!! That is so heart-wrenching and so wonderfully told that I wanted to laugh and cry with the last sentence!!
By
gracie, at
3:06 PM
Oh Bev. these are truly my favorties!!! I work in a middle school now ( boy is it SCARY...all the innocents is GONE) anyway, I work as a Career E.a. and it is so cool to see there dreams...but its not as cool as the young bloods!!
your daughter is getting married??!?! congratulations!!!
By
Dina, at
2:18 PM
wow, wow, wow. Speechless.
By
Laurie, at
9:19 AM
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